The invention concerns a system for processing electronic messages with the features of the claims.
The number and especially the types of electronic messages, such as in the form of e-mails, short messages (SMS) or messages in a social network, are constantly increasing. There are known ways for virtually every type of electronic message to process them, especially in the form of programs for computers or mobile phones, to name just two examples. If a user wishes to transmit and receive many types of electronic messages, he or she must usually use a number of different devices and/or programs.
Electronic messages can basically be sub-divided into so-called directional and non-directional messages. E-mails, SMS, telephone calls or other forms of communication count among the directional messages, since they are addressed to one or several specific receivers (addressees). However, many people nowadays use non-directional messages for exchanging information or for interactive communication. Non-directional communication with non-directional messages requires that the users transmit their communication to third parties, but not to a certain receiver or organization. Non-directional communication is transmitted and received via the social media and the social networks, i.e. Websites, networks or other communication systems. Social media include blogs, micro-blogs, RSS subscriptions, Websites of social media (such as LinkedIn®, Xing, Facebook®, Twitter®, Weibo®, Pinterest® and You Tube®) as well as other types of social media, both comment hosting services/moderation systems (such as Disqus®) and the group communication via e-mail groups, such as Google® Groups, or chat lists as run by Whatsapp® or WeChat®.
Therefore, systems for processing electronic messages exist already, where a person (user) can transmit and receive different types of electronic messages via a single processing module only. As an example, such kind of system is described in German patent DE 102011117777 B3.
Apart from the actual message text and any attachments, such as files or images, electronic messages may also possess so-called attributes that specify the electronic messages in detail. Such kind of attributes can either be “unread” or “read”. However, not all types of electronic messages possess the same attributes, i.e. possible attributes rather differ from type to type of electronic message. As an example, there can be a “like” message in a social network which would not make sense in an e-mail.
The invention therefore intends to propose such kind of system for processing electronic messages that makes the handling of attributes in electronic messages easy, which will be ensured by a system of features as represented by the claims.